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- CBD has strong anecdotal support as a useful tool to combat anxiety. You can take it in many ways—smoking and edibles are just two—depending on your preferences.
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- You also might need to experiment with dosages, timing, and strength, but finding a CBD product that fits your needs can result in relief and recovery from anxiety.
Anxiety can cast an unavoidable heaviness over every aspect of life. The path to recovery can also be long and difficult, like throwing curveballs without warning. But that doesn’t make healing an impossible hurdle. In fact, you have more recovery tools at your disposal now than ever before, including newer treatments like CBD therapy.
If you’ve never tried marijuana before, research is key. Keep reading to learn about marijuana for anxiety and gain an understanding of how to select and use the best CBD products available.
A Brief Overview of Anxiety
Anxiety refers to a group of mental health disorders that cause sensations of unease, panic, and dread. A few prominent examples include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Social anxiety
- Panic disorders
Though symptom manifestation depends on the disorder and the individual living with it, a few are common across patient populations:
- Feelings of dread, fear, or restlessness
Being unable to stop thinking about the past or future
- Having uncontrollable and nonsensical fears about events that haven’t happened yet
- Physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat or overheating
- Panic attacks
If you’ve been living with an anxiety diagnosis, you’ve likely already started on your healing journey. Therapy and prescription medication are common tools that many people find useful, but what can you try if they don’t fully do the trick?
Cue medical cannabis, a natural and effective treatment option.
Is CBD an Option for Anxiety Treatment?
Anecdotal evidence shows that people living with anxiety find relief in the use of cannabis, specifically CBD products.
Marijuana has a rich history as a medicinal tool, and these days, more people are waking up to its true healing power.
So: is CBD an option for anxiety? Absolutely. But can doctors provide CBD for anxiety? That answer is more complex:
Medical marijuana is only legalized in 38 states, and while this number will likely increase, not everyone currently has access to marijuana as a medical option.
Across states, the 2018 Farm Bill permits the growth, sale, processing, purchase, and possession of hemp—a CBD-rich form of cannabis.
Most states require that doctors recommend rather than prescribe marijuana. They can help you apply for a medical marijuana card, which lets you purchase medical marijuana products from sanctioned dispensaries.
Getting a medical marijuana card may sound like a hassle, but that’s where TeleLeaf comes in. We connect you with medical professionals who can help you get your medical marijuana card quickly so that you can start experiencing the relief of CBD products.
Even better? You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home, go doctor-shopping, or worry about misunderstandings with providers who aren’t yet accepting of cannabis treatment.
Breaking Down the Components of Cannabis
Before you start sampling marijuana products, you should know the basic building blocks of cannabis itself.
Marijuana plants contain hundreds of cannabinoid compounds. When shopping for cannabis products, however, you’ll hear mostly about three main compounds.
CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary compound you’ll want to look for if you’re living with anxiety. It’s prized for:
- Physical relaxation
- A lack of psychoactive compounds (so you don’t experience a “high”)
- Pain management
It’s also the most highly lauded in the anxiety community, with CBD oil making up the bulk of anxiety-targeting products.
THC
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component in marijuana, and it’s what creates the “mind high” people typically associate with cannabis. However, this high may be too overwhelming for someone combating anxiety, although this isn’t always the case—finding the right cannabis product often requires experimentation as everyone responds to marijuana differently.
Terpenes
Terpenes work in tandem with CBD, THC, and other components of cannabis to create the effects associated with a strain. It also impacts the color, flavor, and scent of a strain.
Strains to Try and Strains to Avoid
It’s important to note that everyone is different, and no two journeys with cannabis will look the same. Safe experimentation with the guidance of a medical professional is the best way to find out which strains to buy and which to avoid.
That said, anecdotal evidence in the anxiety community points toward the benefits of CBD over THC. Based on that assessment, here are some strains you may want to try, and some you might be better off avoiding.
Some low-THC and high-CBD strains popular in the current market include:
- Sour Tsunami
- Harle-Tsu
- ACDC
- Remedy
- Jack Herer
On the other hand, these high-THC strains are known for their intense cerebral effects, so they may cause spikes in anxiety for some:
- Green Crack
- Sour Diesel
- Super Silver Haze
- Jack the Ripper
- Tangerine Dream
Consumption Methods
When it comes to taking CBD products, there are several different methods of consumption. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, and what you choose will ultimately depend on your lifestyle as well as what you want out of your experience.
Smoking or Vaping
This is the fastest way to get CBD into your system, making it a favored tool for people with social anxiety or panic disorders. On the other hand, smoking produces a strong smell, and you can’t always smoke inside buildings. Vaping is typically more discreet.
Edibles and Consumables
Though this is a slower method of delivery, it’s easier to control the dose you take when using edibles. There’s also a huge variety of edibles to choose from, including:
- Baked goods
- Gummies
- Savory snacks
However, edibles can create an intense body high that leaves some people feeling unproductive, and it’s easy to overconsume if you take a second dose before allowing the initial effects to kick in.
Tinctures and Oils
Another fast-acting option, oils and tinctures can be taken under the tongue or added to beverages. Adding a CBD tincture to a soothing tea at bedtime may help reduce anxiety and aid in restful sleep.
Topicals and Creams
This option is typically best suited for people suffering from chronic pain, as it’s a targeted approach instead of a full-body one. You can apply topical ointments or creams to a specific area giving you trouble, and let the anesthetic properties work their magic.
When and How Much CBD Should You Use?
When you start taking a CBD product, you’ll likely have questions about the proper way to take it. The good news is that CBD products aren’t as cut and dried as pharmaceutical prescriptions when it comes to factors like:
- Time of day – You can take CBD whenever you’re looking to benefit from its relaxing effects: day or night. For instance, people with social anxiety often use a CBD product at least an hour before a social event. People with generalized anxiety disorder may benefit from taking it at the start of the day.
- Dosage – Speak to your medical marijuana doctor before starting a dose. Some patients find the most benefit in microdoses of 10mg or less, while others benefit from larger doses of 100mg, or 300mg to 600mg.
- Time to onset – CBD products taken in edible form can take an hour or more to kick in, so exercise patience instead of upping your dose if you’re still waiting for effects to appear. If you vape, smoke, or take the product sublingually, onset can take 15 to 45 minutes.
Your doctor should be able to give you a good idea of when to take your product and how much to try at the start, and you can work with them to adjust your methods as you go.
Choosing the Right CBD Product
When choosing your CBD products, keep these tips in mind.
Look at whether your product contains CBD isolate, full-spectrum CBD, or broad-spectrum CBD, as you may respond differently to these different CBD compounds. CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD, while full-spectrum contains all cannabinoids, and broad-spectrum removes the THC.
If you choose full-spectrum, be aware of the THC content. It should contain 0.3% THC or less (so you shouldn’t experience a “high”).
Keep an eye out for additional ingredients like chamomile or melatonin.
Choose a product that has passed third-party lab testing.
Pick a brand with an established, positive reputation. Your budtender (the professional working behind the counter at your pharmacy or dispensaries) is an invaluable resource here.
Check the technology used in production. CO2 extraction is the most popular method, guaranteeing the purity and safety of the product. Avoid brands that don’t publish information about their extraction methods.
Reaching Anxiety Relief with TeleLeaf
Anxiety can feel like a curtain pulled over your window, darkening your view of the world—but you have the power to open it again. CBD can serve as an excellent supplemental tool or even a primary healing tactic in your fight against anxiety.
You can take CBD via smoking, ingestion, or topical products. The mixture of cannabinoids and the strength of your products may change the effects you experience, so safe experimenting is a great way to figure out what works best for you.
To get started on your healing journey, get in contact with TeleLeaf. We work as the bridge between you and medical professionals who can help you apply for your medical marijuana card.
At TeleLeaf, we believe that the power to heal lies within the patient. Take control of your healing journey today, and explore the new paths that CBD can open up for you.
Sources:
NCSL. State Medical Cannabis Laws.
https://www.ncsl.org/health/state-medical-cannabis-laws
Healthline. Cannabis 101: What’s the Deal with Terpenes?
https://www.healthline.com/health/cannabis-terpenes
HealthMatch. Your Complete Guide On How To Use CBD Oil For Anxiety.
https://healthmatch.io/anxiety/how-to-use-cbd-oil-for-anxiety
EHProject. How To Use CBD Oil For Anxiety 2024: Everything You Need To Know.
https://www.ehproject.org/
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